The political climate of Punjab started hotting up in the latter years of the 1970s and came to the boil in the 1980s. By coincidence I was appointed editor of the Hindustan Times and a nominated Member of the Rajya Sabha in 1980. Quite a bit of what I wrote as editor and the speeches I made in Parliament dealt with the rapidly deteriorating situation in the State: the Akali - Nirankari clash , the rise of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the DharmaYudh Morcha, storming of the Golden Temple by the Indian army , the assassination of Mrs Indira Gandhi and the massacre of Sikhs in towns and cities of northern India. Then came the Rajiv-Longowal Accord, its betrayal by the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government, the prolonged periods of President's rule, the steep escalation and spread of terrorist activities to other parts of India. Even after I had left editing The Hindustan Times and retired from the Rajya Sabha, Punjab continued to be the theme of many of my articles and syndicated columns With Malice Towards One and All,This Above all and Gossip: Sweet & Sour. In addition I wrote a number of articles for foreign newspapers and magazines. Rohini Chopra (nee Singh) who has compiled and edited many of my books has done a heroic job sorting out my articles and speeches, editing and putting them in the chronological order so that i could use some of them in this book. They truly reflect my personal views on Punjab politics and the mess made by narrow-minded Akali leaders on the one side and the deliberately mischievous politics of the central government led by Mrs Indra Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi on the Other. Between them they have brought all the progress in the most progressive state of India to a standstill, ruined its agricultural and industrial economy and reduced its administration and judiciary to shambles. It is a tragic story. since I am an Indian, a Punjabi and a Sikh, my responses to the events narrated in this book are understandably emotional. For this I make no apologies.

NEW DELHI KHUSHWANT SINGH

From the Backcover

"Those who want Khalistan, can have it in Ecuador, they can have it in the South Pole but they will not have it in India." - Khushwant Singh

"On the 1st of Baisakh, 13th April 1978, celebrated as New Year's day in the Punjabi calendar, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale exploded like a nuclear bomb. It not only shook overfed Punjabi's out of their slumbers but the fallout continues to plague the rest of the country even today." This indeed is the tragic story of the troubled and terror-torn state of Punjab. Today, the complexities of the problem seem not only to be defying all solutions but at periodic intervals, pose a very real threat to the integrity of the nation. This book, in parts unashamedly emotional, lucidly traces the history of the problem, detailing the grievances and resentments of the Punjabis Since Independence and touching upon all the major developments.

What makes this volume special is the author's personal involvement, apparent on every page, and reflecting his views on Punjab politics and the mess made by "narrow-minded Akali leaders, on the one side, and the deliberately mischievous politics of the central government ," on the other. The unfortunate result is there for all to see: all progress in the most progressive state of India is at a standstill, its agricultural and industrial economy lies ruined and its administration and judiciary have been reduced to shambles. What is perhaps more disturbing is the fact that there is still no hope of a solution on the horizon.

This book is a must for anyone who wants an indepth understanding of the present impasse.